Acalia: The Hidden Demigod
by dreamer1293
Summary: Who is Acalia? That's the question Leo, Nico, Jason, and pretty much everyone aboard the Argo II want answered when she mysteriously shows up with the solution to their problem with the Mountain Gods. But how does she know about the Giant War? How can she help? Can she be trusted? Read to find out...


Walking along the dark path in between two of the tallest building in town, the girl held her breath. She was hoping against hope that tonight would be like all the others. _No_, she _wouldn't be attacked and killed, that was just her crazy imagination_. A beer bottle shatters on the ground behind her; turning, she sees a homeless person slumped over, asleep. _Okay, maybe it's not so crazy_. Taking a deep breath she trudges on coming to a stop in front of an old, dilapidated, building with the most run down door this girl had ever seen. She knocked the secret knock and waited with bated breath.

"Acalia, is that you?" comes a small voice from within. Feeling a smile light up her face she responds yes and the door swings wide open. Stepping into the hollowed out room she was met with hugs and cheers from dozens of kids, the oldest was only fourteen, and swept them all into her arms like a mother greeting her children.

This, of course, couldn't be true as Acalia was only sixteen years old, though she had a very youthful face. She was average height with tan, healthy looking skin and an athletic body, as if she spent most of her time outdoors exercising then moisturizing. She didn't, she just had good genes. Her dark, wavy, hair was braided to the side with a ribbon tied in a messy bow at the bottom. She was very pretty by all accounts, if a tad comely, but her looks were magnified ten times when she was in the presence of her 'children'.

She stepped into the center of the kids, cleared her throat, and announced, "Dinner is served", and with a flourish she presented the kids with the humungous picnic basket she had been carrying under her shawl. It was filled to the brim with all sorts of home-made goodies, from spaghetti to cookies and hardy stew for good measure. With a smile on her face she served this scrumptious medley up to the very hungry looking children.

After she had served everyone and they were eagerly munching on the food she stood, beaming with pleasure at the joy such a simple act brought upon these poor and unfortunate children. This wasn't the first time she had done this nor would it be the last. It wasn't always food in the basket; occasionally she would bring blankets, clothes, books. She came once a week bearing gifts and spent hours with the children teaching them to read, write, how to hem clothes, how to practice math, and in the years she had been doing this she had grown quite close to all of them.

There was little Annemarie smearing cake across her dirty face, and stout Thomas chomping on that fried chicken leg as if he were a caveman. Delicate Hannah was sipping some soup in the corner there while Chuck made himself a mustache out of spaghetti on his face. Looking on them fondly she couldn't suppress a tear at what she was about to do.

"Guys, could I have your attention?" Acalia said, her voice shaking. They turned to her and she steeled herself for what she was about to do, "Something has come up, for me…. In my personal life…not that you guys aren't a part of my personal life, you are, a huge part…." somewhere behind her she could hear someone laughing and it was all she could do not collapse in fear and sadness. She took a deep breath and continued, determined to get through this.

"I am afraid that I will not be around for a while. Family issues. Well, any way this will be the last you'll see of me in a while. I am so sorry." Children around the room were tearing up and she couldn't bear to look at them.

"But Acalia, What will we do?" It was Annemarie. Seven years old, with the biggest doe eyes you ever saw. "You can't leave us, we love you. You've done more for us than anyone ever has, you can't leave…. you just can't!"

"Listen to me okay…" She stood up straighter with steel in her eyes as she looked them, "You do not need me. Is that clear? I love you all, you've become like family to me. And trust me, you are a much better family than the one I've got, but you don't need me."

She walked forward and hugged Annemarie to her waist and said, "You are all so special. Kind and strong I know you will be okay without me. Granted, you will need to be more cautious. And I expect you to keep up with your studies; there will be a test when I get back." There was a ripple of laughter across the room before the strained smiles faded and she looked at them reassuringly. "I will be back"

As she walked out of the hovel her friends called home a few hours later she could have sworn she saw a face in the dirt in front her, the same one that featured a starring role in her nightmares. Clutching the basket closer to her she strode purposely across that face and into the night, hoping against hope that her mother knew what she was doing.


End file.
